Fist & Blade
by KRSCZ
Summary: With the disappearance of Zaunite champion Ekko, a new Champion, Cron Obrake, must take his place. However, he quickly realizes that this adventure is going to teach him a lot more than he ever would have imagined. Rated M for strong language, death, and eventual lemons. Character list will be updated as chapters are posted to avoid spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**Fist & Blade**

 **Chapter 1  
**

* * *

 _Cron_

 _Monday, May 16th, 2016_

The slums of Zaun… what a dump. To think I stayed there for so long. If there was one thing that I could be pleased with now that I'm being thrown into the League, it's that I could live somewhere else. I'm still annoyed that I'm being drafted in, but if it pays, then fine. I picked up my briefcase and walked towards the League. I only keep one thing in this brief case, that's it. However, this one thing is… important to me.

My name is Cron, and I'm being drafted into the League of Legends to represent Zaun. Normally this would never happen, but due to the death of another champion by the name of Ekko, it was mandatory. Thankfully, I know a lot about the League, and I'm a skilled fighter. I've been fighting my whole life, living in Zaun and all. It's pretty rough to live in Zaun, if you ask me. If I didn't live here though, I don't think I would have ever learned how to fight, and fighting is the only thing important to me anymore, especially since I'm being drafted into the League. My fighting style is simple enough, always be faster than the enemy. By outspeeding and outwitting the opposition, it's impossible to lose. When it comes to actually fighting, I have two weapons, thanks to being ambidextrous. One of my weapons is just a dull blade. It's not made to slice through people, but rather to apply pressure to people. My second weapon however, is where things get interesting. On my right hand, I have a Hexcore Gauntlet. It amplifies my overall damage, and has some effects to it, like laser beams and explosions. It's mostly for power honestly, so that I'm doing something more than just running around people and pissing them off. It's a nice balance of speed and power, which is how I've always fought.

The sound of doors creaking open signifies that it's time for me to get to work. I walked into the League, and immediately I see the Riot Headquarters, with a sign that says "NEW CHAMPIONS COME HERE". I walked in, and ended up finding a man sitting at a table, he must have been expecting me to come today.

"You're Cron, correct? A pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Groovylord, and I work on getting champions into the League. Please, have a seat." I didn't want to speak to him much, so I sat down as he asked. He took out a piece of paper that seemed to already have things written on it,

"So, what? How do I become a champion?"

"Well, you just need to answer a few basic questions. Let's start off simple, what is your full name?"

"...Cron Obrake."

"Okay, next question: Where do you live? And if you've moved into the League already, which is optional, where did you live beforehand?"

"I live in Zaun. I plan on moving into the League soon."

"Alright, one last question: What would you like your title to be?"

"...My title?"

"Yes, your title. It's essential that every champion has their own title. Just choose anything relevant to who you are as a champion."

"...The Driven Fist."

"Alright! Well, that sorts everything out. As per League standards, you'll be participating in your first match tomorrow. You'll be playing for Zaun, of course, and you'll be playing against Freljord. And here, take this sheet. You gave us your skill set last week, so here's confirmation on those. Do you have any questions?

I took the paper from him, and thought about what it would be like in the Zaun dorms. "One question. From what I've heard from other people, you are allowed to change factions. Is this true?"

"You can switch, if you feel as if you really want to. Not many people do it, but by no means is it forbidden."

"Right. Well, I'll be on my way then. Thank you." I walked out of the room after that, still carrying my briefcase. I planned on moving into the dorms that are here as soon as possible. After living my entire life in the slums of Zaun, I'm quite sick of it. There seemed to be a room on the left side of the room that had a sign above it that said "DORMS". I walked into it, and found teleportation devices, all of which were labeled with different city states. Demacia, Noxus, Piltover, etc. I stepped up to the one for Zaun, and after a few seconds, I was teleported away to what seemed to be the Zaunite Dorms. As I got there, I was suddenly really glad that I asked if we could change factions. The entire place just looked fowl… I didn't want to step foot in it, but anything was better than the Slums. As I walked inside, the odor almost made me vomit right then and there. I walked up to the man at the desk in the front of the room.

"I'm a new champion here. I'm here to reserve a room for me to stay."

"Ah, you must be the one I was informed about. Cron Obrake, correct? Here, we've set your room up for you already. Simply go upstairs and turn left, your room number is 207. Make yourself at home there." I took the keys and walked away from him. I would have thanked him, but I'm not too grateful for this. I'm glad not to be in the slums anymore, that's for damn sure, but was this place really any better? It's hard to say from first glance. I went upstairs and turned to the left, and found my room was fairly close. 207, the 4th furthest room.

"Cron. I didn't know you were becoming a champion so soon." I could recognize that mechanical voice just about anywhere. I turned head, and saw the robot-man himself.

"Viktor. Yeah, I was drafted in this morning, in place of Ekko."

"I've heard about Ekko's disappearance, but no details of it. Do you happen to know anything?"

"I don't know anything about it. All I know is that it happened, and that I'm supposed to replace him." Viktor sighed after I spoke. He knew I wouldn't do much to help him, but he wanted to try anyways. He walked away, thankfully. I was tired of him already. Sure I didn't talk to him much, but I don't like to talk to people, unless it's about something actually interesting to me. In this case, I wasn't interested in theorycrafting.

I put the key in the slot and walked inside of my room. As expected, a pretty small room, but that works fine for me. I put my briefcase down and took off my pack. I carry most of my things in a pack, except for what's in my briefcase. Everything I needed was there, which in reality was only a few things. Some clothes, gold, my sheath, and the documents I got before I came here. I took out the documents and started to look over them. Tomorrow I had to go against the Freljord, so it's good to research what enemy champions do. It's illegal to find info on champions when you yourself are one, but technically, this isn't 'finding' info, this is just reviewing info I found when I wasn't a champion. Is that really a bad thing? Well, yeah, it is a bad thing. I don't really care though.

Overviewing Freljord's champion pool, it would appear as if I'm most likely going to be facing Tryndamere. Tryndamere is very basic, attack a lot and get stronger by attacking more. That being said, the best way to beat Tryndamere is to do it really fast before he has time to destroy you. It's a simple plan, and with my skill set, it should he pretty simple. I had to give them my skill set before today, so I know what I can and can't do to people. But to be sure, I checked the paper he gave me.

* * *

 _ **P: Pressure/Power.**_

Cron can switch between using his dulled blade and his mechanical gauntlet based on what abilities he uses. Based on what he's using, his basic attacks shall have different effects.

Pressure: Cron uses his dull blade. Cron's basic attacks do 90% damage, and leave a mark of "Point Pressured" on the target. When a 3rd mark of "Point Pressured" is applied to a target, they become slowed by 80% for 3 seconds. While using his blade, his attack speed is increased to 120%.

Power: Cron uses his mechanical gauntlet. Cron's basic attacks do 110% damage, and leave a stack of "Overpowering" on himself. When a 3rd stack of "Overpowering" is applied to Cron, his basic attacks do 150% damage.

 _ **Q: Eruption [Gauntlet]**_

Cron releases a burst of energy in front of him, damaging all targets hit. If Eruption hits a champion, Cron can re-cast it.

 **W: Evacuate/Retaliate**

Evacuate: Cron jumps back, jump length can be charged.

Retaliate: Cron charges forward 20% more distance then he jumped backwards, deals damage to anything he runs into.

 **E: Hit-Stun [Blade]**

Cron lunges forward with his dulled blade, stopping at first target hit. If he hits a minion, he gets stunned for .5 seconds. If he hits a champion, they are stunned for .5 seconds.

 **R: Fate [Gauntlet]**

Cron charges a blast in his gauntlet. Any champion hit by the blast loses 30% of their maximum HP. Can hit multiple targets.

* * *

After reviewing my skills, I decided it's time to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day, and would require a lot of energy. I turned off the lights, got into bed, and closed me eyes. This is the start of a new life for me. This is where everything changes.

" _CRON! WHERE ARE YOU?!" A voice called out. What voice was this? It sounds so familiar…_

" _Cron, is that you?" The voice spoke again… how do they know my name? In the distance, I saw a figure looking away from me, calling out to me. Who was this, and why did he look so familiar?_

" _Wait, you're not Cron-" The voice was cut off by a gargling noise. I ran to this person as fast as I could. As I ran, they turned to me._

" _C-Cron… I needed… you…" The figure vanished. I walked over to where they were, and looked in the direction they were. Suddenly, something was shot at me, but I couldn't tell what. It was so fast, and such a blur-_

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat. What in god's name was that? That voice… that figure…

I couldn't think straight. I put my head back to my pillow and decided just to rest.

Tomorrow is another day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Fist & Blade**

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

 _Cron_

 _Tuesday, May 17th, 2016_

I wish I got more sleep, but the nightmare really messed me up. Today is the day that I play my first match on the Rift, my first day doing my job as a Champion. I don't know how to describe how I feel. I had a feeling that I would have to do this one day, since I've spent all of my life fighting. I think that took the excitement out of all of this for me. To me, this would be just another fight, mostly. But at least I would be facing people that have years of experience. I got up and grabbed my sheath, with a blunt blade inside. The blade wasn't really meant for cutting, just to apply pressure. I stepped outside of my room and looked around. It was really early, which was a good thing. I didn't plan on eating breakfast, especially not here. Out of everyone else here, Viktor was the closest thing to normal. Most other humans moved out, such as Janna and Jinx. I'm a human, purely. The only inhumane thing about me is my gauntlet, but it's a gauntlet, it comes off if I want it to. However, I never like taking it off. I'll be honest, this thing was a burden at first, but it greatly amplifies my energy and overall ability to fight, so I keep it on almost all the time. They are certain times where I would take it off, but… none of those situations have happened at this point in time.

I left the dorm and took the teleportation device to the League. In the main lobby, I saw what was going to be my team. Zac, Viktor, Twitch, and Blitzcrank. I walked to them, knowing fully well that I was going to have to deal with these people for an extended period of time.

"Cron. I'm glad to see you actually showed up." Viktor's robotic voice, so annoying to me. I think he took some kind of a liking to me due to my gauntlet, but I can't say that I have anything remotely close to mutual feelings about him. I'm only dealing with him because I have to, simple as that.

"When does the match start?" With the way I spoke, Viktor could tell I still wasn't too interested in holding conversation with him. I was never too fond of him, and I think he knows that.

"ACCORDING TO MY DATABASE, THE MATCH SHOULD BE STARTING IN 10 MINUTES." I turned my head slightly to see Blitzcrank. If one robot wasn't enough, how in god's name was I ever going to deal with two?

"Cron, we were all about to head out to the Champion Load-Up. Come with us, it's how we get into our match." Zac's voice was kind of soothing, actually. Out of everyone there, I think that Zac was my favorite. Granted, I didn't necessarily like him, but I didn't dislike him. I always found Twitch to be… weird. Then there's Blitzcrank and Viktor, just machines who don't know as much as they let off to. It's kind of pathetic really, but whatever. We all went to the side of the room opposite to the dorms, which was labeled as "THE RIFT". We all walked inside, and found there to be another teleportation device. We all went in, one by one, me being last.

The room we were sent to was as basic as all of the rest, except it was a bit bigger. There were 3 benches, one for each team that was to play in a match, and another one that was probably for spectators. Freljord's champions were already there. First one I saw was Braum, and my god he's massive. Next to him, the much smaller Ashe. Next to her was Anivia, and Gragas. I was kind of surprised that Ashe and Gragas were able to sit next to Anivia and not freeze to death, in all honesty. I guess they're just used to the cold at this point. However, my concern wasn't any of those, but the last person, who was sitting next to Gragas.

As I suspected, my opponent was Tryndamere. He looked angry, but I'm pretty sure that it's the only emotion he can even feel. The 5 of us all sat down, each facing our lane opponent.

"So they get rid of Ekko, and in his place is another scrawny kid? Hah! Go home, you'll save yourself some broken bones." Tryndamere tried to insult me, but I simply stared right through him. If he thought he was going to intimidate me, he had another thing coming. I knew everything about his kit, and he didn't know a thing about mine. I had not only the element of surprise, but I had complete knowledge of what he can do and of what he will do. This lane is an easy victory, all I have to do is execute everything properly. Tryndamere tried to stare at me the way I stared through him, but he simply couldn't He had emotions holding him down. Maybe nobody else could tell, but he was afraid. He didn't want to shatter his pride by losing to some "scrawny kid". As I was about to open my mouth, I heard the sound of people being teleported into the room with us. To my left, I saw 3 people, and what seemed to be a Yordle. As they came closer, I could recognize them all. First was Shen, then Akali, Kennen, and finally, Irelia. I thought Irelia was a bit… out of place. The other three were ninjas, and she wasn't. I guess she was just on good terms with Akali. I looked at her, and she looked back. Our eyes met, but I turned away, trying not to look like a creeper. I had to say though, out of every champion I've seen, she's easily the prettiest one. I looked back towards her, and noticed she was blushing softly. I guess she noticed that I was staring. I was trying not to stare at her, moreso through her, but it's fine.

I faced forward, tilted my head downward, and closed my eyes. To avoid looking like a creeper who was staring at people, I decided it was best to just close my eyes. As I closed my eyes, I could hear some whispers to my right. The 4 who walked in were all whispering to each other, but the ones I heard mostly were feminine voices. Irelia and Akali probably gossipping and calling me a creep. It's fine, nothing that can get under my skin. I kept my eyes closed, and relaxed. My relaxation was cut short by the memory of my nightmare last night. Just what was that about? That figure… that voice…

* * *

"Hey… wake up!" Someone shook me lightly, and my eyes shot open. I guess I had fallen asleep on accident. I looked up and found that Irelia was the one who shook me. I was still tired, and stared into her eyes for a few seconds. She ended up staring back, for a few moments, before she looked away for a second, blushing again. Was she not used to people staring at her? By no means was she ugly, far from it actually. She must have just never noticed people doing it before, and only noticed me doing it because I'm new here. "U-Uh… your match is about to start." She quickly got back to the bench after that, and as I looked over I noticed Akali giggling slightly. What was so funny? Women are so confusing…

"Attention! The match is about to begin. Every champion, please stand." The announcer's voice rang throughout the room, and everyone got up in unison. We all knew it was time to fight, and I was ready to shut that goddamn barbarian up. A blue circle appeared under me, as well as the rest of us, and we were teleported away to the Rift. At long last, I could fight.

I got to the fountain and had 500 gold with me. I bought a Corrupting Potion, and walked towards the top lane. I looked at my team mates as I was leaving. Twitch was… twitching, go figure. He hadn't said much up to this point, but he's been twitching every few seconds, really weird. Next to him was Blitzcrank, who was emitting steam from his entire body. To their left was Zac, who seemed relatively calm about all of this. Walking to the middle, Viktor. Viktor seemed cocky as ever. I wouldn't mind to see him get his shit pushed in by Anivia, honestly.

As I got to my top tower, I saw Tryndamere waiting for me, with the Doran's Blade he purchased. I put my first skill point into Eruption, as my gauntlet began to glow. This lane was going to get messy, and I was going to love every second of it. Minions quickly spawned and made their way to the lane. As the first wave came in, I walked up and basic attacked a minion, and made sure to turn around as soon as I killed it. I wanted to bait him into putting a point into his Mocking Shout so I could have an easier time killing him once level 3 came. We both farmed minions, as his fury built up further and further. He was looking for a kill level 3, that much was obvious to me. He had been known for doing that.

At 3 minutes, we both hit level 3, and he immediately used his Spinning Slash to get on top of me. I reacted by using one of my Corrupting Potion charges and by using Evacuate to dodge the damage, followed up by a quick Retaliate to hurt him. After doing that, I quickly used Eruption to inflict damage, followed up by another cast of it to bring him down to about half HP. All the while, he was attacking me with his blade, hitting constant critical hits because he was at full Fury. However, due to the passive of my Gauntlet, Power, I was able to deal more damage than him after 3 strikes. He was on 25% HP and I was still on 50%, so I knew I would be able to kill him. He turned away and tried to run, while using Bloodlust to heal him slightly. but I couldn't let him. I used my Hit-Stun to stop him in place and to switch to my dulled blade. Once I was using my blade, I quickly hit him 3 times to lower his movement speed. After his movement speed was lowered, I simply hit him two more times, which finished him off completely. First blood was secured by me, easily. Tryndamere teleported back into lane as soon as he respawned, but he only had enough gold to buy a dagger.

Not even a full minute later, Gragas went to mid lane and secured a kill on Viktor with the help of Anivia. Great, not only was the half-robot annoying, but now he's feeding. I sighed, not thinking too much of it, as I recalled and went back to base. I had 1100 gold on me, so I spent it on a Sheen. The best bet for me is to rush a Trinity Force, which is exactly what I planned on doing. I teleported back into lane as well, to make sure I didn't miss too much farm. As I got back to lane, I found that Tryndamere had pushed the lane as hard as he could to try and make me miss out on gold. I laughed, and used my Eruption, but I didn't hit anything with it. I used it to the side of me, just so I could be using my gauntlet instead of my blade. I farmed the minions easily, and then saw my opening to go in on him. I used Hit-Stun to dash on to him and stun him, followed by a quick basic attack. After the attack, he used his Spinning Slash to try and get away. I used Evacuate, followed by Retaliate to get back on top of him. The thing about Evacuate/Retaliate, Retaliate will ALWAYS go further than Evacuate does, so I can chase people with the ability. After using Retaliate, I hit him once again, getting another Sheen proc and applying a second stack of Point Pressured to him. With just one more attack, I had slowed his movement speed by 80%. I quickly used Eruption, followed by another basic attack for yet another Sheen proc. After that, I simply used Eruption one more time, which was enough to finish him off. The "scrawny kid" was making Tryndamere his bitch, only 5 minutes into the match.

I spent the next few minutes pushing in the lane, and most importantly, reaching level 6. At around 8 minutes, I left lane and bought a Phage. I teleported back into lane, and walked up to Tryndamere. I wanted to zone him off of minions to make him as useless as possible. However, Gragas ended up sneaking into the brush as I was out of lane, and he ended up using Body Slam to try and get on top of me, as Tryndamere used his Spinning Slash to do the same. But with quick reaction speed, I dodged out of the way with Evacuate, and I went right back in with Retaliate. They were both level 6, but I was confident in my ability to kill them both. I used my Hit-Stun to briefly stun Tryndamere, and then I instantly used Eruption twice. I wasn't concerned with Sheen procs, because I knew that I was strong enough to bring him down with just those attacks. He used his Undying Rage as I used my second Eruption, just to survive it, which was exactly what I wanted. Now that Tryndamere was immune to death, I started to attack Gragas. Thanks to my keystone mastery, Fervor of Battle, and my gauntlet's passive, Power, I quickly brought him down to low health. Gragas used his Explosive Cask to knock me away, as he and Tryndamere tried to ran away. I waited a few seconds longer for Tryndamere's Undying Rage to fade, and then I used Fate, and thanks to my aim, I was able to kill both of them with it. Now I was 4-0, and Tryndamere was further in the gutter than he had ever been in the past.

After double killing them, I pushed the lane as hard as I could, and ended up taking down the Outer Turret, granting me bonus gold for taking down the first turret of the game. After taking it, I went back and bought my full Trinity Force. As I was buying my Trinity Force, Twitch ended up killing Ashe and Braum, with the help of Blitcrank and Zac. I wouldn't have to do absolutely everything this game, thankfully. I walked towards mid lane, and found that Anivia was about to kill Viktor again. I charged my Evacuate fully, and then used an extremely long distance Retaliate to get on top of Anivia. I quickly stunned her with my Hit-Stun and used Eruption. I used a basic attack empowered by Trinity Force, as Anivia used her Glacial Storm and Frostbite to kill Viktor. I used Eruption a second time, using another empowered basic attack to take her down. I pushed the lane in as hard as I could, and I ended up taking the mid lane tower, while Zac went top lane to hold Tryndamere off as he tried to split push to make up for the fact that he couldn't match my roam. I went back to base and bought Boots of Swiftness, to amplify my pressure on the map.

The next few minutes of the match were spent farming by everyone playing. I wanted to get more gold so I could end this game as quickly as possible, so I split pushed top lane to try and take down more towers. During the 4 minutes that were spent mostly farming, I ended up taking down their Inner Turret in top lane. I recalled and bought a Tiamat, to amplify my team fighting damage. After buying a Tiamat, Viktor died to Anivia again, as their team took the Infernal Drake. I teleported to a nearby ward as they took it, due to Braum hitting his Glacial Fissure on Blitzcrank, and nearly hitting Twitch, who was stealthed. As the enemy team focused down Blitzcrank, Twitch came out of stealth and unloaded on everyone, as Zac used his Elastic Slingshot to knock everyone up. Seeing the perfect opportunity, I used Fate on all of them, securing a quadra kill for me. I looked at my mini map, and noticed that Anivia was in the mid lane, starting to run away to avoid me getting a penta kill. I fully charged my Evacuate, and then charged at her with my fully charged Retaliate. I stunned her to avoid her stunning me, and then quickly used Eruption twice, followed by a basic attack and my Tiamat active ability, to secure a penta kill. As Anivia died, I could hear cheering from somewhere. I looked above me to see Akali, Shen, Kennen, and Irelia clapping and cheering me on for getting a penta kill in my very first match on the Rift.

Freljord's champions didn't leave their base for the rest of the game. Once 20 minutes hit, they instantly surrendered the game. As we came back to the Champion Load-Up, Tryndamere hung his head down in defeat. Me and the rest of the Zaunite champions walked down towards the spectators, and the Riot members who came in afterwards.

"Congratulations on your victory. Especially you, Cron. It's already rare for someone to get a penta kill, let alone on their very first game on the Rift, Due to this, and your overall S+ grade, you'll be earning 300% earnings." The Riot member handed us all our earnings for the game. I wasn't expecting to get so much money, but I wasn't going to complain by any means. I took my money, and started to walk away. As I was walking away, I heard someone call my name. I turned around, and saw Irelia.

"Uh… I just wanted to say congratulations! That was an amazing display there." Irelia seemed oddly happy. It was actually kind of nice to see it.

"Oh, thanks. It was nothing I wasn't prepared for, honestly. Tryndamere is just another meat head in my eyes." I don't think she was expecting a response, given the fact that she was practically beaming.

"I was wondering, are you free for now?"

"Sorry, but I'm really tired after doing all of that, so I'm going to go get some rest. Maybe we can chat tomorrow though?" I didn't really want to talk to her, or anyone for that matter. But she seemed so excited for some reason, I didn't want to ruin her spirits.

What about her makes me care for her feelings?

"Oh, alright. I'll see you, then…" She sounded disappointed, but I was honestly tired. I got a good look at her. She didn't look disappointed, she looked sad. I felt… bad. Looking past her, I could see Akali looking somewhat upset. I didn't really know what to do… I never spent much time with girls. Or… other people in general, for that matter. I thought about what she might want… comfort, perhaps? It was worth a shot I suppose. I walked over to her, and wrapped my arms around her. I wasn't really sure if I was supposed to squeeze her or not, but I didn't to be safe. She wrapped her arms around me too. I wasn't really sure what to make of it, but I think she liked it. After a few moments, we both got off of each other. She smiled, she actually looked happy now. I considered this a win. I turned around and started to make my way back to the dorms.

After a few minutes, I ended up back in my room, tired as all hell. I got into bed and instantly passed out.

* * *

 _"_ _Cron?! Cron, where are you?!" That same voice again. This is just like last night._

 _"_ _Cron… where are you...?" This was the same person from last night. But who was it? I heard that same gargling sound soon after they stopped speaking. They died… because of me? Suddenly, I saw that same object flying at me, faster than anything I could have ever imagined-_

* * *

Another nightmare. Why am I having these? Maybe I have to get this checked out tomorrow. I closed my eyes, and went back to bed.

Tomorrow is another day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Fist & Blade**

 **Chapter 3**

 _Cron_

 _Wednesday, May 18th, 2016_

After another nearly restless night, I decided it's time to get this checked out. These… nightmares. They have to mean something, whatever that something may be. It's better if I get that checked out before it really gets out of hand. I left my room, and the Zaunite dorms in general, and went back to the main room of the League.

If anyone knew where I could get this checked out, it would be someone from Riot.

 _Akali_

 _Wednesday, May 18th, 2016_

We didn't have any more matches to spectate, due the Blood Moon festival that was on Saturday. So, I spent my time with Shen, who was working as a surgeon. But I spent most of my time thinking about the new champion we witnessed yesterday. Cron… what an interesting character. Not only did he seem incredibly strong, but Irelia took an instant liking to him. It was kind of cute, actually. Cron came off as emotionless at first, but considering the smile Irelia couldn't force back, maybe my first judgement was incorrect.

"Akali? Are you listening to a word I'm saying?" I jumped slightly. Shen was trying to explain something to me, but I had too much on my mind to really notice.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I've had something on my mind. What are we doing?" Shen sighed.

"We have a special patient coming. Riot wouldn't say who, but we know that it's a champion. We should at least clean the place up."

"Clean it up? Shen it looks fine…"

"We need people to have good impressions on us. This is the only way we can sustain ourselves." I was going to speak, but another voice quickly cut me off."

"Akali is right. This place is fine." Me and Shen looked at each other dumbfounded, as we turned our heads to see Cron standing there. Shen felt too embarrassed to speak at that point.

"C-Cron?! What are you doing here?" I asked, still surprised that he showed up.

"...What do you mean? I literally just heard you and Shen discussing a champion coming here as a patient. Put 2 and 2 together." It took me a moment to process it. I felt really stupid. "Anyways. I'm not in physical pain or anything of the sort. Riot told me that I could come here for help with mental problems. Specifically some very descriptive nightmares I've been having recently. Can you help, or am I wasting my time here?" I wasn't sure how to respond to him. I looked over at Shen, prompting him to talk instead.

"Alright. Follow me, I'll see what I can do." Cron followed Shen into the examination room, leaving me all alone. That Cron guy… I went to go tell Irelia that he showed up here.

 _Cron_

 _Wednesday, May 18th, 2016_

"So, what exactly can you do for me here, Shen?" I asked, unsure of what he was really going to do.

"Well, the first step is to find out what's really going on in your head. What are these nightmares about?" I sighed, not exactly knowing how to answer that."

"They always start the same way. Someone is calling out my name, as if they need my help. After some time, I hear this… sickening sound of them being killed. A few moments later, I see some bright object flying at me, and that's when I wake up."

"Hmm… before you came to the League, do you know anyone that ended up dying?" I shuttered.

"...No. I never had anyone close enough to me for me to worry about someone's death."

"Never?"

"Not after… something happened."

"Hm? What happened?"

"Family problems. I'd rather not get into details. But nobody was killed in the process of it."

"Hmm… I see. Well, I'm not sure exactly what it is that you have, but I'm sure I have some pills for you. Go back to the main lobby and wait for me while I look around here for something." I nodded, and walked outside of the examination room. I sat down and closed my eyes. Just what was wrong with me? These nightmares… do they even mean anything? There are so many questions… this is all so confusing.

"Cron? Wake up!" I jumped a little. Had I really passed out while waiting again? I really needed more sleep at night. I looked up, and found who woke me up.

"Irelia? Sorry you found me like this again." Irelia chuckled softly and took a seat next to me.

"It's fine. What brings you to Ionia, anyways?"

"Two things. One is that I've been having trouble sleeping at night, and the only place I could get help is here."

"Your sleeping troubles have been evident. But you said there were two reasons you're here?"

I turned to face her. "Of course. I told you yesterday that I was going to show up and see you today, didn't I?" I saw her cheeks quickly turn red. It was kind of cute, actually. _Why do I find her cute?_

Irelia scooted closer to me. "I'm really glad you were able to come…"

"I told you I would. I'm not just gonna go back on my word." I did plan to go find Irelia after I left, actually. But she ended up coming here instead.

Irelia smiled. She looked really happy now. I was glad that I could cheer someone up. She rested her head on my arm and was completely still. It felt so… peaceful.

No words were being spoken. No actions happening. It's just us two sitting here. Happy.

 _Why does this make me happy?_

 _Why does SHE make me happy?_

Neither of us really wanted to move. Her resting her head on me felt so calming. I felt like I had someone to protect.

 _Someone who… needs me?_

...I'm not dependable enough to protect people. It's evident in that dream. I couldn't protect someone who needed me. Can I really protect her any better? Suddenly I was… nervous, I suppose. I didn't want to lose someone. This is the first person I've ever had to lose in the first place. I couldn't live with myself if I messed this one up. _But what do I need to protect her from?_

Irelia got up. "I really wish I could stay here, but I have a match to play; both today and tomorrow. When do you think you'll be free again?"

"Well, my next match is scheduled for Friday. After that, I'll be free for the weekend."

"Can we talk more on Saturday then?"

"Saturday? Yeah, that works fine for me." Irelia smiled, but it was a weak smile. She wanted to stay here, that much was obvious. I wanted her to stay here too, if that wasn't obvious already. _But why do I enjoy her company so much?_

I got up and hugged her like I did yesterday. It cheered her up yesterday, so I figured it was worth a shot today too. She returned the hug, and softly chuckled. After we let go of each other, Irelia walked away and left to go play her match. Within a few minutes, Shen came back.

"Take these. These should help with your sleeping problems. Take two before you sleep every night."

"It's that simple? Alright, thank you."

"One more thing before you leave, Cron. Are you coming to the festival?"

"Festival? What festival?"

"The Blood Moon festival. It's an Ionian tradition, but you're free to come by all means, as is everyone else in the League. I expected you to be coming, given your relationship with Irelia."

"W-Whoa there, what do you mean my 'relationship' with Irelia?" Did it look like we were more than acquaintances?

 _Is that what this feeling is?_

"You two are in a relationship, are you not? It looks that way."

"No, we aren't in one."

"Do you want to be in a relationship with her then?"

I struggled to find a response. _Do I have feelings for her? Is that why I find myself happy with her?"_

"...I don't know. I've never been in one before. Nor do I even know anyone personally who has."

"Not one person?"

"None. I'm a quiet person, Shen. I'm only somewhat commutative here because everyone here has something in common: a fighting spirit." Shen sighed.

"Well, if that's what you want to think then okay. But make sure you know what you're doing." I nodded. Shen gave me room to breathe about this, which I was grateful. This is something that I needed time to think about, and Shen was willing to give me that time.

"Well, I'm going to go back now. I'll get back to you on that festival." I turned around and walked away, without giving him a chance to respond. I left the hospital and went on a bit of a walk, with only one thought coming to my mind: _Do I have feelings for Irelia?_ It was too early to tell. I spend all of my time alone. But maybe that's why I enjoy her company so much…

 _Maybe I need someone other than myself in my life._

I was interested in this thought. But if there's one way to tell if someone's right for me… it's how they fight. I've always fought. It's the only thing I ever wanted to spend my time doing. I want someone who shares the same passion as me. The same passion of charging into battle and crushing everything.

I decided to head over to the Champion Load-Up. Anyone could spectate anyone's game, according to the League rules. If Irelia is aggressive, then I would try to go to the festival with her.

I got to the Champion Load-Up, and found that Irelia was 19 minutes into her game. I spectated her game and… my jaw almost dropped.

 _25 kills in 19 minutes?!_

I was baffled. Irelia and her team were playing against Shurima. She laned against a Nasus, and apparently she crushed him. I took a closer look at her game to see the situation she was in.

She was alone in bot lane, with Sivir coming for her. She had only 5% HP, so she was at a massive disadvantage. She went into a bush, and stood still. She wasn't recalling, she was just waiting. Eventually Sivir came down to farm minions. Irelia Bladesurged out if the bush onto a minion, and then instantly used her Equilibrium Strike to stun her. Once she stunned her, Irelia activated her Hiten Style for bonus damage. Once Sivir was out of the stun, she instantly flashed away and acctiva On The Hunt to try and run away. Irelia used Bladesurge to finish her off, and as she did,Taliyah used Weaver's Wall to trap Irelia onto the enemy team's side of the map. Irelia saw her, and Bladesurged to her instantly. After one Bladesurge, Irelia simply attacked Taliyah twice and killed her.

"Enjoying the show?" A feminine voice called out from behind me. I jumped, and turned around to find Akali.

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to know who you have your eyes on." Akali smirked. I turned away, mostly out of embarrassment.

"What are you getting at, Akali? I'm just watching a match." She chuckled softly.

"Cron, be honest. Are you gonna ask her to go to the Festival, or what?" I'm not a fan of being forced into situations. At all.

"...Probably. I'm not good around people, if that wasn't obvious enough."

"Don't you have an interest in her?"

"Akali, please don't start this. This is something I really need to think about."

"Think about? Cron. Listen to your gut on something like this." I got up and started to walk away. Before leaving, I half turned my head to look at her.

"I'm not going to be forced into this by you. Yeah, I find her cute. I'll cross that bridge on my own. I don't need your help with it. Help her, if you're really trying to make this happen. I'll handle my part." I walked away.

I got home and got into bed. I wasn't interested in talking to anyone anymore. I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

 _It was early morning, and I was in a large bed. Another dream? I wanted to get up and stretch, but one of my arms was stuck under something. I turned to my right, to see another figure in bed with me, and my arms were around them. I slowly pulled my arm out from under them. As I did, I noticed a white object that seemed to be near their head. I shook my head, and I realized that the white object was… piercing someone. I frantically turned the figure over, and looked in horror._

 _Irelia was dead, right in front of me._

 _I slowly took the arrow out of her head, now painted red due to blood. I gripped the arrow tightly, aimed towards my chest, and began a thrusting motion to send the arrow straight through my heart._

I screamed as I woke up, as sweat rolled down my cheeks. I had another nightmare, I forgot to take the pills. I didn't move for a few moments. I just saw her dead body right in front of me. I've never felt so… broken before.

I reached into my pocket and took out the pills Shen gave me. I took two, and put my head back to the pillow.

I spent the next 20 minutes trying to sleep, but trying even harder to stop sweating.

 _But I knew that I wasn't sweating._

 _I knew what that liquid was._

 _And even though I hated that this liquid was coming from me._

 _It meant that I loved something._

 _ **Someone.**_

After a while, I finally fell asleep.

Tomorrow is another day.


End file.
